We’ve both been through hell with sick babies, but neonatal staff are just amazing
The Noah’s Ark Charity Tiny Lives Appeal aims to raise £1m to help premature babies in South Wales. Thousands of severely ill and premature babies have survived thanks to the expertise of the neonatal intensive care unit at the University Hospital of Wale
Nicola Madoc-Jones and daughter Edie Madoc-Jones, from Canton, Cardiff. Born February 2, 2017
My pregnancy was healthy, my baby was thriving and everything was going as it should.
But just two and a half weeks after my 20-week scan, I found myself 2cm dilated and admitted to the delivery suite at the University Hospital of Wales. Three days later my daughter was born.
They didn’t know whether her birth was imminent or not, we just had to wait and see. The feeling of helplessness is unbearable. But when hearing that if your healthy baby will be considered a miscarriage if she arrives before 24 weeks, well, that is just soul-destroying.
We were provided with dire statistics. Only 20% of 23-weekers will survive and 50% of those that do will have moderate to severe disabilities.
Her heart rate was fine until my waters broke. Suddenly finding herself not in the water, she began to deteriorate rapidly. Her heart rate dropped to 50 beats per minute. I knew I had to deliver her quickly because if born without a heartbeat, she wouldn’t receive medical assistance.
Edie was born severely bruised from the delivery and the sight of her was shocking. At 580g (1lb 4oz) she was the smallest thing I had ever seen. Numerous doctors and nurses quietly worked on her and it seemed to take a lifetime.
The doctor turned to me and said “the odds are not good”.
I couldn’t see her for another four hours and in that time we didn’t know if we’d be seeing our baby alive or dead.
For me, going from complete happiness and normality to being thrown into this hellish situation with no prior warning was the hardest part.
And it didn’t stop there either. We watched Edie suffer through a brain bleed, numerous infections, multiple blood transfusions, sepsis, chronic lung disease, a collapsed lung, a hole in the heart, retinopathy of prematurity and frequent resuscitation. All at the same time.
At two weeks old, doctors took us